Since the book I'm writing now will contain kaiju, I thought to link to a handy size comparison for those writing similar works, or merely curious. (Much more at the link. )
Only a few days left—four to be precise—to enter for a chance to win a free signed copy of my upcoming horror novel Hallow Mass. Kirkus Reviews called it "an entertaining addition to the genre of occult fiction." Find out why by clicking below for the opportunity to snag one of 15 copies.
"A university gets ensnared in a paranormal battle over a dangerous book in this debut horror novel."
The waiting is over—for me.
Kirkus Reviews has delivered the verdict on Hallow Mass and it is positive. The venerable book reviewing magazine has found that "Wit and humor color the novel . . . ."
Yes, there are a few dings, but overall a wholesome accounting. Read the rest here.
What happens from this point is any one's guess, but the book remains on track to publish next Friday, April 29. The eBook version is available now for pre-order.
The paperback edition, with appropriate quotes from the review, will be ready by the release date. Or, should you feel fortunate, Goodreads is conducting a giveaway of 15 signed copies, slated to end next Thu. April 28. Try your luck for a book written with "wit and humor."
But don't take it from me. I'm just quoting someone.
A word about Amazon.com publishing. In using their pre-order function, you must upload the final manuscript ten days before release. For me, that was yesterday at the stroke of midnight. The penalties for missing the deadline are stark: all your pre-orders are cancelled, plus you are banned from the pre-order function for a year.
Due to a simple error, the deadline was missed by several hours. I contacted them and explained the situation. They were decent enough to give me a one-time pass on the dire consequences. If they hadn't, I'd be typing here, bitching like crazy. In fairness then, I should use this space to compliment Amazon for its discretion and generosity.
I'm growing to hate the whole project, but I can't start unless I know what result a certain character sought to achieve in the realm of science and what what wrong. (Then comes the relatively easy part: how do the characters deal with disaster.)
There's a reason Stephen King's The Mist is listed a horror story and not sci-fi, even though something involving the fictional Arrowhead Project goes haywire and kicks everything off. We don't really need to know the science of popping open another dimension. All we really need to know is that it's a hazardous thing for people.
And despite the setting in 'a galaxy far away,' Star Wars is often referred to as space opera and not science fiction.
So this morning I feel much better, rejuvenated, and ready to outline. Since I'm not bucking to publish in Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, all I require is starter science to get the story rolling, then put the characters in maximum jeopardy.
Speaking of books, and that's pretty much all I'm doing these days, Hallow Mass is in pre-order for Kindle editions.
Or, if you feel fortunate, you might enter a giveaway for a free signed copy, courtesy of Goodreads.
"In Dunwich, Massachusetts, only a small, beleaguered band in the Antiquities Section at Miskatonic University is keeping back trans-dimensional horrors from wiping all human life from earth in preparation for the return of the Great Old Ones . . .
Into this simmering conflict steps Mercy O'Connor, an aimless party girl grad student in the Antiquities Section who has yet to find herself or her place in life. She's about to be thrust to the front lines of the age-old battle against ultimate evil . . .
I liked this book very much. I loved the characters, the bad guys are suitably creepy . . . "
If so motivated, scroll down to What I'm Reading and scope out the rest.
Hallow Mass is available for pre-order at Amazon. Pre-order delivers you the eBook version on the April 29, release date, but fine durable paperbacks will also be awaiting you at that time. I know this. I know it well.
If you're feeling fit and fortunate, then you might ready yourself for a Goodreads Giveaway starting in three days. 15 signed paperback copies of Hallow Mass will be mailed free of charge to fifteen readers selected via Goodreads algorithms. All you need do is sign up.
Oh, what a Sunday. I'm buried in technical details for my next book, a sci-fi effort. Something says I'm overthinking everything, but eventually, I'll burn through the verisimilitude stuff and start writing.
Make that a CHANCE for a free SIGNED edition. (Not worth much now, but I have dreams.) At last count, 579 readers had signed up to learn more about the lives and loves of Anna Ironhead, seeking romance and a bedbug-free room in the Old West. Here is a brief video, explaining her quest.
While on the subject of self-promotion, the keen-eyed folk at BookReels continue to feature Fifty Shades of Zane Grey on the front page. Slowly, I slide to the right, but it's been an enjoyable electronic movement.
50ZG is one in from the right.
Now I return to Hallow Mass. The first book trailer is ready, awaiting a pdf draft that I will release to reviewers. Then it's up on Amazon for pre-order. This is not a parody, but an actual book about people in ugly situations involving warlocks, black magic, and drinking too many mimosas. Due to release on April 29.
